Top 10 United States Landmarks

Script written by Brandon William Peach.
From nature’s loveliest landmarks to incredible man-made marvels, America the Beautiful has some of the world’s most popular sightseeing spots. Have you ever wanted to see the faces of four presidents staring down at your from a giant, rock-carved monument? Or a beautiful orange-red bridge crossing azure waters? Or a huge statue that symbolizes freedom from oppression? America’s got all of that and more. In this video, WatchMojo.com counts down our picks for the top 10 landmarks in the United States. For this list, we chose landmarks that are representative of America and its culture, and tried to keep the choices spread out through the country as much as possible.
Special thanks to our user 85turtle for submitting the idea on our Suggestions Page at WatchMojo.com/suggest

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Top 10 United States Landmarks

Top 10 United States Landmarks

From nature’s loveliest landmarks to incredible man-made marvels, America the Beautiful has some of the world’s most popular sightseeing spots. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 United States landmarks.

For this list, we chose landmarks that are representative of America and its culture, and tried to keep the choices spread out through the country as much as possible.

#10: The Las Vegas Strip
Nevada

From ornate casinos to death-defying live shows, comedy acts to performances by the world’s top musicians; the Las Vegas Strip symbolizes the glitz and glamor of the American dream. “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” the famous sign declares, inviting guests to enjoy all it has to offer. The “Vegas Strip” is also appropriately named – topless showgirls debuted there in the late-‘50s and still perform today!

#9: The Hollywood Sign
California

Emblematic of Hollywood’s Golden Age, this U.S. landmark has been imitated the world over. Located in LA’s Hollywood Hills, the sign debuted in 1923 as an advertisement for the upscale Hollywoodland housing development, but it quickly became an icon. After the removal of the last four letters in 1949, the sign required constant repairs until it was completely rebuilt in 1978.

#8: The USS Arizona Memorial
Hawaii

Drawing over a million tourists each year, the submerged USS Arizona remains a reminder of the December 7th, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. From a floating bridge, visitors to the Hawaiian monument can view the ship’s remains, which still leak oil to this day. The Memorial pays tribute to the first of thousands of Americans who lost their lives during WWII.

#7: The Grand Canyon
Arizona

Deemed one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Arizona’s Grand Canyon is a truly majestic sight. At 277-miles long, a mile deep, and at times 18-miles-wide, it’s among the world’s largest landmarks – and with its array of colors, natural structures, flora and fauna, it’s considered among the most beautiful. The Canyon is also populated by several Native-American tribes, making it an important part of American culture.

#6: The Hoover Dam
Nevada / Arizona

At the time, this gargantuan structure was considered one of the world’s greatest engineering feats. Today, the 726-foot-high, quarter-mile-long dam is no less impressive. Spanning the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, it was conceived as a way to provide power and water to dry regions in America’s west. The concrete arch-gravity structure is open to the public and draws millions of visitors each year.

#5: Mount Rushmore
South Dakota

South Dakota’s Black Hills are home to four of America’s most iconic presidents: the 60-foot-tall faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt are carved into Mount Rushmore. Although the project exhausted its funding before the Presidents could be carved from the waist-up, more than 450-thousand tons of rock were removed to create their likenesses. It’s a massive monument for passionate patriots across America to enjoy!

#4: Independence Hall
Pennsylvania

It’s the birthplace of American freedom – Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where 56 men put their lives and reputations on the line to defy the King of England and declare America’s independence. The Hall remains arranged and decorated as it was during the Constitutional Convention. Both the Declaration and the Constitution were signed in Independence Hall, whose famous bell tower once housed another of America’s national symbols, the Liberty Bell.

#3: The Golden Gate Bridge
California

This project realized a century-old dream: to span the three-mile-long Golden Gate Strait, the entrance to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific. Built between 1933-37, the stunning bridge was painted “orange-vermillion” to blend with the warm landscape and contrast the blue waters below. Billions of cars have crossed it, and millions more admire its contribution to the San Francisco skyscape.

#2: The Statue of Liberty
New York

Since 1886, Lady Liberty has greeted immigrants and travelers to New York City, standing tall in times of prosperity and tragedy. The Statue of Liberty is more than a landmark – she represents a nation’s hopes and dreams. Broken shackles at her feet symbolize freedom from oppression, and her tablet marks the birth of American Independence. If there’s one monument that encapsulates the American Dream, it’s the nation’s 305-foot-tall torchbearer!

#1: The National Mall
Washington D.C.

Our number-one U.S. landmark houses the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building, WWII and Vietnam Memorials, and more. Such iconic features pepper the Mall, the stage for important events like the anti-Vietnam War rally, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and Presidential inaugurations. It’s been called “America’s Front Yard” – a place for gathering, remembering, and looking forward to the next chapter in America’s history.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite U.S. landmark? For more interesting and informative top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com!